Category:Delaware Diocese

From Eurêka

Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

Delaware Diocese General

Delaware's statutes of limitations Legal situation that not only prevents prosecutors from putting priests on trial for molestation, but also made it nearly impossible for victims of abuse to sue in civil court. Only a handful of molestation-related lawsuits have been filed against the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington or a priest in Delaware. Under state law, victims have only two years from the time they are molested to file a lawsuit. The criminal statute of limitations in Delaware is longer. Prosecutors have two years to file charges after a victim comes forward, if the abuse occurred after July 1987. That means a victim can wait many years, which experts say is common, before finally reporting the abuse.

Deleware cover-up Church officials in Delaware negotiated secret legal settlements with victims, sent accused priests to therapy instead of reporting them to police and moved suspected abusers to other states. At least half of the 57 parishes in the diocese (and four of its seven Catholic high schools) have had an alleged molester on staff. That number is based on just 11 accused priests whose names have surfaced in lawsuits or whose identities were reluctantly released by church officials. The names of 23 accused priests have been closely guarded by the church, even though Catholic officials have concluded the men had “credible allegations” of abuse made against them. The church will not define what “credible allegations” means. Keeping those names secret has prevented the full extent of the molestation scandal from becoming public. Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli and the other top-ranking church officials refused to provide details about the actions of the accused priests.

Delaware prosecutors’ review Legal authorities launched a limited review of priest abuse in 2002 that did not include the use of a grand jury or any subpoenas. Attorney General M. Jane Brady said those tools were not necessary. Brady said that the diocese fully cooperated with her investigation. But Brady made no effort to determine whether church officials might have broken any laws, when, for example, they did not report molestation claims to the police. And Brady declined to release any details from the inquiry her office conducted in 2002 and 2003.

Secret list destroyed One of the largest religious orders in Delaware, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, searched their confidential files to put together a list of names. The head of the order, the Rev. Joseph G. Morrissey, then sent the initials of one or more priests, along with their dates of birth, to researchers at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. Afterward, Morrissey destroyed the original list.

Sex abuse reform Delaware's statute of limitations for civil lawsuits of accused of child sexual abuse was changed so that victims would have 25 years after they turn 18 to sue their abusers, instead of within two years of reporting the abuse, as the law requires. Reported 17 November 2006.

  1. Delaware's Child Victim's Act Legislation that eliminated the civil statute of limitations in cases of child sexual abuse and opened a two-year "window" during which previously time-barred complaints could be filed. Went into effect July 2007.

Diocese of Wilmington

Diocese of Wilmington Covers Delaware and a portion of eastern Maryland.

Diocese of Wilmington abuse Bishop Michael Saltarelli met with Attorney General Jane Brady April 2002 to discuss abuse allegations against priests. Saltarelli gave Brady the names of five accused priests and the attorney general's office had received complaints against six others. Diocesan officials identified 15 documented allegations of abuse by priests 1952-92. In total they acknowledged 79 complaints that priests had sexually abused children and 19 diocese priests against whom allegations were substantiated, 1952-2003, National Audit January 2004. Diocese listed 26 priests against whom credible allegations had been made, including 20 diocesan priests and six from religious orders (2005). According to The News Journal, at least 30 priests have been accused of molesting more than 60 children since 1950 (2005).

Diocese of Wilmington settlements Diocese paid $1.6 million to victims and families, 1952-2003.

Bishop Saltarelli list Reversing a long-standing policy, Bishop of Wilmington Michael A. Saltarelli released the names of 20 priests accused of sexually molesting minors, 16 November 2006.

Note 1 About 10 priests who were ordained by religious orders and are serving in the Diocese of Wilmington who have credible allegations of child sexual abuse against them, were not on the list.

Note 2 Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, the religious order that runs Salesianum School said there were no plans to release the names of oblates accused of sexual abuse, 17 November 2006.

Diocesan Cases of Wilmington

(alphabetical listing)

[30 offenders acknowledged, 26 listed]

Carley affair Rev. Edward B. Carley (1917-1998), ordained 1948, served in a series of churches: St. Mary Refuge of Sinners, Cambridge, Md. 1948; St. Ann's Church, Wilmington 1954 (abuse see below); St. Paul's Church, Wilmington 1962; Cathedral of St. Peter, Wilmington 1964; Good Shepherd Church, Perryville, Md. 1967; Mother of Sorrows Church, Centreville, Md. 1972; St. Dennis Church, Galena, Md. 1983. Accused of abuse, he retired 1993. The diocese admitted Carley abused boys and apologized for his “despicable actions” when it announced the $65,000 settlement with John F. Dougherty Jr., January 2006.

  1. Dougherty lawsuit John F. Dougherty Jr., received $65,000 settlement to reimburse him for counseling he said he needed as a result of sexual abuse. Dougherty said Carley, the assistant pastor at St. Ann's Catholic Church, from 1954 to 1962, raped him when he was 10 years old and was serving as an altar boy at St. Ann's, and that Carley abused him repeatedly for several years afterward.
  2. McClure lawsuit Douglas J. McClure filed in Delaware Superior Court, that a January 2005 story in The News Journal about Carley's alleged abuse of a St. Ann's classmate triggered memories of his own abuse. He sought financial compensation for the 200 to 300 instances of abuse he said happened when he was 8 to 10 years old.

Clarahan affair Rev. Eugene F. Clarahan (1925-1999), ordained 1952, Corpus Christi, Elsmere, 1952; chaplain of (Del.) state institutions, 1960; Holy Spirit (residence), New Castle, 1967; St. Peter, New Castle, 1968; Holy Cross, Dover, 1978; Church of the Good Shepherd, Perryville, Md.,1983; St. Benedict, Ridgely, Md., 1987; removed from ministry 1993 and died in 1999. He was one of 20 priests named in 2006 by the diocese as having "corroborated or otherwise substantiated" claims of abuse lodged against them.

  1. Jane Coe No. 1 Anon woman (1951-) filed lawsuit that says she was abused sexually by the Rev. Eugene F. Clarahan three times in 1965 and 1966, when she was 14 and 15, in a barn on her parents farm in southern Delaware, lawsuit filed 10 October 2008.
    1. Jane Coe # 1 brother Rev. Clarahan also sexually abused her older brother who he was counseling. He became an alcoholic at age 16 and died in a car crash while driving drunk.
  2. Anon man accusation Colorado judge claimed that he had been sexually abused by Clarahan, filed lawsuit October 2008.

John Coe No. 1 Charges that the late Rev. Eugene F. Clarahan repeatedly sexually assaulted him in his cell at the New Castle County Correctional Institution in 1968. John Coe was 17 at the time, and was in jail for being a minor in possession of alcohol. Clarahan was the chaplain at the facility. Lawsuit filed in New Castle County Superior Court October 2008.

Cornely affair Francis P. Cornely (1924-1975), ordained 1949, St. Francis de Sales, Salisbury, Md., 1949; St. John the Baptist, Newark, 1950; St. Edmond, Rehoboth Beach, 1958; chaplain, University of Delaware, 1962; St. Mary Refuge of Sinners, Cambridge, Md., 1964; Christ Our King, Wilmington, 1969;St. Edmond, Rehoboth Beach, 1974.

Daleo affair Rev. Paul Daleo, a Capuchin friar, taught at St. Edmond’s Academy, a private Catholic school in Brandywine Hundred.

  1. Conaty allegation Matthias C. Conaty alleged that the Rev. Paul Daleo molested and sexually abused him from fourth through seventh grades, sometimes while performing as a “Christian Clown” at various school and church events. Conaty filed suit in Delaware Superior Court, 7 May 2008.

Note Capuchins became the first religious order to acknowledge such allegations against one of their members, confirming two confidential settlements with men who said they were abused by Daleo.

Dempster affair Rev. Douglas W. Dempster (1937-) ordained 1962, St. Michael the Archangel, Georgetown, 1962; St. John the Beloved, Wilmington, 1962; Immaculate Conception, Elkton, Md.,1966; St. Mary Refuge of Sinners, Cambridge, Md., 1967; St. John-Holy Angels, Newark, 1969; Church of the Good Shepherd, Perryville, Md., 1970; diocesan chaplain of Boy and Girl Scouts, 1971; Church of the Holy Child, Wilmington, 1978; Immaculate Conception, Marydel, Md., 1979; Our Lady of Good Counsel, Secretary, Md., 1992; removed from ministry 1993; resides in Marydel, Md.

Douglas affair Rev. Louis E. Douglas accused of abuse, sued 2003.

Dreyer affair Rev. Henry J. Dreyer (1903-1969) ordained 1930, St. Paul, Wilmington, 1930; St. Teresa, Port Deposit, Md., 1931; St. Ann, Wilmington, 1933; St. Charles, Cape Charles, Va.,1937; St. Teresa, Port Deposit, 1941; St. Joseph on the Brandywine, Greenville, 1950; retired 1966; St. Ann, Wilmington (residence), 1967.

Dudzinski affair Rev. Edward F. Dudzinski, Jr. (1950-), ordained 1978, St. Joseph on the Brandywine, Greenville (deacon), 1977; St. Mary Magdalen, Wilmington, 1978; St. Francis de Sales, Salisbury, Md., 1983; removed from ministry 1985; resides in northern Virginia. He was a deacon ordained to the priesthood in 1978 despite allegations that the young man had inappropriate contact with a handful of middle school boys in Easton, Md. He served at 1978: St. Mary Magdalen Church, Wilmington 1978; St. Francis de Sales Church, Salisbury, Md. 1983. Seven years after becoming a priest, Dudzinski was removed from active ministry when he was accused of molestation.

  1. Lamb accusation Barry Lamb illustrates how the Diocese of Wilmington handled allegations of sexual abuse since the 1950s. Lamb was 15 in 1985 when he told church officials that the Rev. Edward Dudzinski had sexually abused him while on a trip to Virginia. The church helped Lamb get counseling but it did not report Dudzinski to police, nor did it help arrange for Lamb and his parents to speak with authorities. “They said, 'You are not planning on having him arrested, are you, and causing any legal problems for us?' ”
  2. Heaney accusation William and Othell Heaney claim Rev. Edward Dudzinski began abusing 10 year old Kevin Heaney in 1978 when the victim was in Dudzinski's religion class at St. Mary Magdalen elementary. The lawsuit claims Dudzinski abused Kevin at least 100 times over a three-year period and changed his personality. The Heaneys say their son got into drugs and tried to commit suicide numerous times before finally shooting himself in 1987 and dying two days later.

Gardiner affair Rev. Richard F. Gardiner (1916-1989), ordained 1968, St. Edmond, Rehoboth Beach, May 1968; Holy Cross, Dover, Nov. 1968; St. Ann, Bethany Beach, and St. Michael, Georgetown, 1972; St. John the Beloved, Wilmington, 1974; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Bear, 1978; St. Luke/St. Andrew, Ocean City, Md., 1985.

George case Dennis M. George (1937-) of Elkton, officer of the Knights of Columbus, pleaded guilty to a 1985 sexual offense against a young girl and served four years of a 10-year sentence. He was released in October 1989 with the condition that he “not reside with or be in any unsupervised setting with minor children.” While still on parole for that conviction, he pleaded guilty again in 1994 to sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl. George was sentenced to 15 years for the 1994 charge, served about six years and was released in July 2000 with the condition he have “absolutely no contact with any minor child,” Arrested for breaking his parole at Bishop Becker Council 2427, Immaculate Conception parish, October 2005.

Hermley case Rev. Robert J. Hermley, ordained, 1955, served in a series of churches: Father Judge High School for Boys, Philadelphia 1966; Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Seaside Heights, NJ 1978; Padua Academy, Wilmington 1980; Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Vienna, Va. 1982; St. Mary Church, Fredericksburg, Va. 1991; Seton Home School, Arlington, Va.1992; Little Sisters of the Poor, Newark, Del. 2001. Hermley was convicted of sexually abusing a child.

Irwin affair Rev. William E. Irwin (1938-2005), ordained, 1964, St. Edmond, Rehoboth Beach, 1964; Immaculate Conception, Elkton, MD, 1964; Holy Cross, Dover, 1966; St. Mary of the Assumption, Hockessin, 1968; Immaculate Heart of Mary (residence), Wilmington, 1970; Catholic Information Center, Wilmington 1970; Diocesan Religious Education Center, Wilmington 1971; Our Lady of Fatima (residence), New Castle, 1972; Christian Formation Department, Wilmington 1974; St. Francis de Sales, Salisbury, Md., 1976; St. Mary of the Assumption, 1986; Diocesan headquarters, Wilmington 1986; Holy Family Church Newark, 1990; St. Mary Magdalen, Wilmington, 2001. He was relieved of his duties after telling diocesan officials he had received an anonymous phone call in which the caller accused him of abuse, removed 2002.

Note Irwin’s name was released by Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli only because the diocese mistakenly thought a potential police investigation would be discovered by The News Journal.

Killion affair Rev. Dennis Killion, a member of Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, was a teacher at Salesianum High School in Wilmington, later served as an assistant principal at Father Judge High School in Philadelphia in the 1990s. He then went to as the activities director at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Meyers, Florida, until summer 2008. He had been scheduled to take a new job at Saint Bede the Venerable Parish in Holland, Bucks County, Pennaykvania, on 18 August 2008, but the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, upon learning of the allegations, withdrew permission for Killion to serve anywhere in their territory.

  1. Killion lawsuit I Four former students at Salesianum High School in Wilmington have filed lawsuits in Delaware accusing Rev. Dennis Killion of sexual abuse at the school in the 1980s. Filed early August 2008.
    1. Church cover-up Two of the victims reported the abuse to school officials, who told the boys "to be quiet, he would be transferred."
  2. Killion lawsuit II Filed in Delaware by a man, 9 September 2008.

Lind affair Rev. Alfred John Lind Jr. (1931-1996), ordained 1960, served at St. Francis de Sales Church, Salisbury, Md. 1960; St. Catherine of Siena Church near Prices Corner in 1962 where he is alleged by a Newark victim to have molested and performed oral sex on the then-altar boy in 1963 or 1964, when the boy was about 12 years old. Lind was transferred in 1965 to St. Elizabeth Church, Wilmington where he performed oral sex on a 14-year-old altar boy. He withdrew from active ministry 1965. The Diocese of Wilmington paid $68,000 to a Newark man in 2004 and negotiated another settlement with a Wilmington man, 2005.

Mackiewicz affair Rev. Leonard J. Mackiewicz (1931-1994), ordained 1957, served in a series of churches: St. Edmond’s Church, Rehoboth Beach 1957; chaplain for Boy Scouts, 1957; Immaculate Conception Church, Marydel, Md. 1958; St. Thomas Church, Wilmington 1960; St. Hedwig’s Church, Wilmington 1961; Holy Rosary Church, Claymont 1964 (Dougherty accusation); St. Thomas, 1967; St. Francis de Sales, Salisbury, Md., 1970; St. Michael the Archangel Church, Georgetown 1971; St. Edmond, 1972; St. Mary Refuge of Sinners, Cambridge, Md 1972; Holy Cross Church, Dover 1975; St. Francis de Sales Church, Salisbury, Md. 1976; Delaware State Correctional Institute, Smyrna 1976; St. Polycarp’s Church, Smyrna 1985. Diocese said Mackiewicz had credible allegations of abuse against boys and girls leveled against him throughout the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland and most of Delaware, removed from ministry 1987.

  1. Anon accusation In a blog with reference to the Dougherty accusation: "I feel for this person. I was raised in the Roman Catholic Church and one member of my family was abused by this priest. He was a soul slayer and has ruined countless lives. The worst part is that the catholic church and the holy roman empire and their leaders were fully aware of what was going on and they should be prosecuted as well." 15 August 2008.
  2. Dixon accusation David Dixon (1958-) claims the Rev. Leonard J. Mackiewicz took him from his Salisbury home, drove him across state lines to the priest's mother's house in Sussex County and sexually abused him when he was 12 years old (1970), according the suit filed against the diocese in Sussex County Superior Court, 22 August 2008.
  3. Dougherty accusation Mary Dougherty (1953-) filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Wilmington and Holy Rosary Church claiming she was abused several times by Mackiewicz when she was 15 years old in 1966, when another priest intervened to save her being choked and raped on a beach, 15 August 2008.
  4. Church cover-up Lawsuit, filed by the Wilmington-based Neuberger Firm, alleges the diocese had prior knowledge Mackiewicz was molesting children before transferring him to St. Francis de Sales Church in 1970.

McGovern affair Rev. Joseph A. McGovern (1949-) ordained 1979, St. Francis de Sales, 1978; St. Mary Refuge of Sinners, Cambridge, Md., 1979; St. Catherine of Siena, Wilmington, 1980; St. John the Baptist/Holy Angels, Newark, 1983; removed from ministry 1986; resides in Philadelphia. Diocese said McGovern had credible allegations of abuse leveled against him.

Martin affair Rev. Kenneth J. Martin (1945-), ordained 1989, Holy Cross, Dover, 1989; Immaculate Heart of Mary, Wilmington, 1990; St. Paul, Wilmington, 1991; St. Mary Magdalen, Wilmington, 1991; Holy Family (residence), Newark, 1997; Church of the Holy Child (residence), Wilmington, 1998; removed from ministry 2001; resides in New Jersey. He was charged criminally with sexually abusing a high school boy in Maryland in the 1970s, Adjudicated in 2001, no trial, court ruled “probation before judgment,” and removed from priesthood, 2001.

O'Neill affair Rev. James W. O’Neill, ordained, 1968, served in a series of churches: Bishop Duffy High School, Niagara Falls, N.Y. 1959; De Sales Hall, Hyattsville, Md.1961; De Chantal Hall, Lewiston, N.Y. 1962; De Sales Hall, Hyattsville, Md. 1964; Bishop Ireton High School, Alexandria, Va. 1968; principal at Salesianum School, Wilmington, run by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales 1973; Archbishop Wood High School, Warminster, Pa. 1986; Weston School of Theology, Cambridge, Mass. 1990; St. Paul the Apostle Parish, Greensboro, NC 1991. Diocese said O’Neill had credible allegations of abuse leveled against him. O'Neill, and was removed from active ministry.

Power affair Rev. Walter D. Power (1918-1998), ordained 1952, St. Francis de Sales, Salisbury, 1952; St. Helena, Bellefonte,1954; director of Boy Scouts, 1956; St. Mary Refuge of Sinners, Cambridge, Md., 1957; Immaculate Conception, Marydel, Md., 1960; chaplain, St. Gertrude Convent, Ridgely, Md., 1960; Sacred Heart, Chestertown, Md., 1964; Holy Name of Jesus, Pocomoke City, Md., 1968; St. Mary Refuge of Sinners, 1969; Immaculate Conception, Elkton, 1979; retired 1983, with residence at Good Shepherd, Perryville.

Rogers affair Rev. Francis J. Rogers (1954-), ordained 1981, served at: Corpus Christi (deacon), 1980; Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Wilmington 1981; St. Matthew Church, Wilmington 1986; Holy Rosary Church, Claymont 1989; St. Mary Magdalen Church, Wilmington 1992; Corpus Christi Church, Elsmere 1995. He was accused of sexually abusing children and could no longer function as priest, removed from ministry 2003.

Sarro affair Rev. John A. Sarro (1941-), ordained 1979. worked in missions as religious-order priest until 1983; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Bear, 1983; St. Helena, Bellefonte, 1990; removed from ministry 1998; resides in a monitored religious community in Maryland.

Smith affair Rev. Edward Smith, a former teacher at Archmere Academy, Claymont 1982 and administrator for the Norbertine Brothers who operate Archmere, was removed from active ministry. Catholic officials had sent Smith to Archmere in 1982, even though he had been removed from Bishop (now St. John) Neumann High School, Philadelphia (1975-80) for sexual misconduct in 1980. Served at Immaculate Conception Priory, Claymont 1996.

  1. Whitwell accusation US Navy officer Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth J. Whitwell claimed that Rev. Edward Smith at Archmere Academy in Claymont molested him in 1984 and 1985 while they were on ski trips in Vermont. Because the abuse occurred in Vermont, that state's laws apply, giving Whitwell enough time to have his case heard in court. “In a weird way, I was lucky to have been molested in Vermont.” Lawsuit filed against the church in Delaware 17 November 2005. In March 2007, Whitwell was awarded $41 million in damages by a federal jury after alleging that he was raped by the Rev. Edward J. Smith. A judge awarded Whitwell a default judgment after Smith, a former religion teacher at Archmere Academy in Wilmington, failed to respond to the lawsuit. Diocese settled with Whitwell for $450,000, a sum believed to be about four times more than any previous settlement the diocese has made with abuse victims, 18 January 2008.

Vignola affair Rev. Carmen D. Vignola (1946-1989), ordained 1972, Holy Cross, Dover (deacon), 1972; St. Ann, Wilmington, 1972; St. Elizabeth, Wilmington, 1978; Our Lady of Fatima, New Castle, 1983; St. Joseph, Middletown, 1984; Holy Cross, Dover, 1987.

Wiggins affair Rev. Charles W. Wiggins (1957-), ordained, 1985, served at: Our Lady of Fatima, New Castle 1985; Parish of the Resurrection, Wilmington, and chaplain a St. Mark’s High School, Wilmington 1986; St. Francis de Sales Church, Salisbury, Md. 1987; St. John’s Holy Angels Parish, Newark 1992; Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Secretary, Md 1993; Holy Family Church, Newark 1994; Holy Spirit Church, New Castle 1997. He was removed from ministry 1997. He was stripped of his right to work as a priest, wear priestly garb or publicly proclaim himself a priest after an investigation by a board set up by the Diocese of Wilmington, January 2003.

Francis DeLuca

DeLuca affair Rev. Francis G. DeLuca (1929-), a serial pedophile was ordained 1958, served first at St. Francis de Sales in Salisbury, Md (1958-61). He then served in five parishes in New Castle County: St. John the Beloved in Milltown (1961-66), St. Elizabeth in Wilmington (1966-69), Holy Spirit in New Castle (1969-76), St. Matthew in Christiana Hundred (1976-89), and St. Joseph on the Brandywine in Greenville (1989-93). Removed from ministry 1993 after officials with the Diocese of Wilmington learned of credible sexual abuse allegations against him dating to the 1960s, long after the statute of limitations ran out. The then-Bishop Robert E. Mulvee stripped him of his priestly duties. In 2002 Francis DeLuca had retired and moved back to his home town. Wilmington bishop accepted DeLuca's early retirement in December 2003 “for reasons of health” and forbade him from engaging in active public ministry without permission. Decree from the pope permanently dismissed DeLuca from the priesthood, announced 7 August 2008.

(chronological listing by dates of offences)

Sowden accusation Michael Sowden (1948-) claims he was abused by DeLuca in 1961 and 1962, when he was 12 and 13 years old. Sowden was an altar boy at St. John the Beloved when he DeLuca abused him on church-sponsored trips. DeLuca sexually abused him more than 10 times during trips to New York City and Philadelphia. He said the priest, naked, would climb on top of him while he was trying to sleep. The suit says the abuse caused Sowden problems in relationships, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, flashbacks and loss of his religious faith. Michael Sowden filed a lawsuit against the defrocked priest Francis DeLuca for sexual abuse, August 2008.

  1. North Carolina priest accusation Michael Sowden's claims a North Carolina priest abused him while he was at a camp operated by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales in Maryland. In the course of a press conference, Sowden named DeLuca as another of his abusers. The North Carolina priest was subsequently cleared in an investigation by the Diocese of Charlotte and the Oblates. Sowden has not filed suit against that priest, but at the time his lawyer called the Charlotte investigation a “sham,” saying authorities there never interviewed Sowden.

Schulte accusation Unnamed priest at St. John the Beloved in Sherwood Park raped Michael Schulte as a middle school student, during overnight trips to Philadelphia and Virginia. Schulte kept the sexual assault secret for two years, until the day he saw his attacker get out of a car with a young boy from his neighborhood (? Anon accusation III), when he told his parents the priest had sodomized him. When Schulte finally came forward, church officials did not call police or hire a counselor for him, early 1960s. If this anon priest was DeLuca, then the Church knew he was an active pedophile from about 1964-65.

  1. Dempster investigation Rev. Douglas W. Dempster was a close associate of the priest the teenager accused of sexual abuse. Michael Schulte said he was stunned when Dempster, who had come to Schulte's New Castle County home in the Milltown development of Sherwood Park to investigate the teenager's claim in his late 20s at the time, used foul language warning him not to repeat his claims to anyone.

Anon accusation III Third anonymous lawsuit alleging child sexual abuse by the Rev. Francis G. DeLuca was filed in Delaware Superior Court against the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, 13 June 2008. In the suit, the 56-year-old plaintiff alleges more than 100 acts of sexual abuse by DeLuca from 1962 to 1965, starting when the victim was 10 years old. The victim was an altar boy supervised by DeLuca at St. John the Beloved Church.

Vai accusation John Michael Vai (1952-) filed a lawsuit against Francis G. DeLuca detailing sexual abuse committed against him between ages 13 and 17 when he was living in Wilmington and was an altar boy at St. Elizabeth's Church from 1966 to 1970, 20 June 2007.

Santee accusation Lawsuit filed 6 June 2008 against DeLuca, the diocese and St. Elizabeth's Church by Ronald R. Santee Sr. of Taberg, NY, was withdrawn a few days later.

Quill accusation Robert Quill sued DeLuca for sexually abusing him in Delaware more than 300 times between 1968 and 1975, the first to file suit under the 2007 law, settled his case against DeLuca, the diocese and St. Elizabeth's Church for an undisclosed sum, 2008.

Dingle accusation Michael Dingle, of Liverpool, NY, claims diocesan leaders should have notified their counterparts in upstate New York of abuse allegations against the Rev. Francis G. DeLuca when he retired there in 1993. Instead, DeLuca retained the stature of priesthood and used it to sexually abuse Dingle more than 300 times from age 12 or 13 until age 17. DeLuca knew Dingle and his family because he is Dingle’s great-uncle. DeLuca bought gifts for Dingle, such as clothing, video games and cell phones, and took him to the mall and to restaurants. Beginning in 1995 or 1996, Dingle began spending occasional nights at DeLuca’s apartment, and the priest began sexually abusing him during those visits in February 2001, if not earlier. DeLuca also incorporated “hard-core pornography” on videotape or DVD into the abuse. The sexual abuse stopped when Dingle told his father about it, July 2006.

  1. DeLuca Syracuse case Former Delaware priest Francis G. DeLuca was arrested and and charged with one count of second-degree sexual abuse, two counts of third-degree sexual abuse and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, all misdemeanors. DeLuca pleaded guilty in June 2007 to criminal charges that he abused Dingle. Syracuse City Court Judge Kate Rosenthal sentenced him to 60 days in prison and six years of probation and ordered him to register as a sex offender, 19 October 2007. "It breaks my heart to learn that someone in Syracuse may have been victimized by a removed priest of our diocese," said the Most Rev. Michael Saltarelli, bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington, Del., in a statement after learning of DeLuca's arrest.

Anon accusation I Lawsuit against Francis G. DeLuca accusing him of sexually abusing a boy over a four year period, filed September 2007 after the Delaware's Child Victim's Act went into effect in July 2007.

John Doe No. 3. accusation Lawsuit against Francis G. DeLuca accusing him of sexually abusing a boy, filed 2008. Doe No. 3 alleges that he was sexually abused by DeLuca in the priest's bedroom in the rectory, in the basement of the rectory, in the teacher's lounge of the church's school, in a house across from the church, at drive-in theaters at Prices Corner and Pleasant Hill, and on church trips to Philadelphia and New York. The suit claims that because of the abuse, the plaintiff became depressed, abused alcohol and drugs, and struggled in personal relationships.

Anon accusation II Lawsuit against Francis G. DeLuca accusing him of sexually abusing a boy, filed 2008.

Vai accusation John Vai filed a lawsuit against the defrocked priest Francis DeLuca for sexual abuse.

Schulte accusation Michael Schulte filed a lawsuit against the defrocked priest Francis DeLuca for sexual abuse.

John Doe 1 accusation John Doe 1 filed a lawsuit against the defrocked priest Francis DeLuca for sexual abuse.

John Doe 2 accusation John Doe 2 filed a lawsuit against the defrocked priest Francis DeLuca for sexual abuse.

Retrieved from "http://www.ultralingua.com/eureka/index.php/Category:Delaware_Diocese"
Views
Personal tools